Exactly. That adds an extra foot of height to the hive (using all mediums)... if I want to stack my hives, that makes them 2 feet higher, add in a hive stand and you're talking about a setup I would need a step stool to manage...

However, I've got 3" of space in vented inner cover, so if I can make the feeder wide but less than 3" high, it doesn't add any height to my total setup and allows me to stack hives even when supers are on them without having to use a ladder.

Well, when I split the hive in early spring, I plan to put the split on top of the main hive (facing a diff. direction of course) until I recombine in the fall. The purpose is that I have very limited lateral space in which to place a second hive. stacking them like that will allow me to keep the second hive without trying to find space for it on my property. Of course, as long as I'm keeping the Italians, I'll have to separate them to try and prevent robbing out, but once I make the change to carnolians, I want to stack them vertically.

Man, that makes inspections a real pain in the butt. Is your yard really that small? Beemaster has (had) a tiny yard and he kept a few hives without problem. If so, I'd try to find another location to keep hives.

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

The yard isn't so small, the problem is that there's very little of it that's not in close proximity to lots of kids, which would undoubtedly cause more trouble than it's worth. Also, locations other than the front yard will put my neighbor's swimming pool in too close a proximity for me to be able to guarantee they wouldn't use it as their water source. Putting it in the front yard not only increases the distance to the pool, but puts the house between them and the pool as an obstacle that would have to be either flown over or around, whereas my provided water source would be much closer with no obstacles to expend energy avoiding. The front yard has the driveway and front door that it needs to be set back several feet from, as well as the side yard in which the neighbor's kids play... that limits my good space to only a few feet.

Dude, you're way over thinking this. There's no way to guarantee that the bees won't do what you don't want them to. If you stack the hives on top of each other, when you have to inspect the bottom hive what will you do with the top hive? Set off to the side... if you do that then where will the foragers for that hive go, back to were their hive use to be. So now you have a face full of confused bees looking for their hive. Beekeeping is like life, their's no manual or book that will give you all the answers or tell you exactly what to expect or do. You just have to live it. With that being said, there's no substitute for experience, so listen when it's offered you might not make as many mistakes. I wish I had.

The yard isn't so small, the problem is that there's very little of it that's not in close proximity to lots of kids, which would undoubtedly cause more trouble than it's worth. Also, locations other than the front yard will put my neighbor's swimming pool in too close a proximity for me to be able to guarantee they wouldn't use it as their water source. Putting it in the front yard not only increases the distance to the pool, but puts the house between them and the pool as an obstacle that would have to be either flown over or around, whereas my provided water source would be much closer with no obstacles to expend energy avoiding. The front yard has the driveway and front door that it needs to be set back several feet from, as well as the side yard in which the neighbor's kids play... that limits my good space to only a few feet.

The thought of thinking that a house is a obsticle to a bee and is going to make your bees go to your water source and not someone elses is not realistic. The bees are gonna do what the bees want to do and problay are going to goto your neigbors pool for water. It just seems to always go that way anyway.. just my 2 cents. remember the bees are the ones in charge.

Given, the bees will use the first reliable, good water source they find that season... that being said, placing a water source closer to the hive increases the liklihood of them finding it before the other. The fact that they don't have to expend as much energy transporting the water to the hive, thus using less stores which leaves more for the hive could only have a positive effect on keeping them on the provided water source.

Understand that allowing my bees to become a nusiance to the neighbor's without doing everything within my ability to prevent or lessen their impact on the neighbors is not an option that I deem viable in my situation. Now, IF they are still a nusiance to the neighbors AFTER I've done everything I can to prevent it, I don't have as much of a problem with that (although I would still look at relocating the bees to an area where they would be less of a nusiance) because at least I would not be acting irresponsibly and in a manner that could do more to damage the beekeeper reputation.

Bees are funny about there water they pass up on good fresh water and go to the stinky stuff -like chlorine in pool water -reason is because when the bees communicate to each other where the source is they also use the smell to mark it -my friend has a koy pond and the lily pads work perfect-for the bees to take water from - :lol: RDY-B

That is a good point, but I'm not sure how to make the provided water source stink in that way... perhaps there is some sort of device that would hook up to the feed hose to insert the proper chemicals as the water drips... I'll have to check into that.

What feed hose :? drop of bleach to a gallon or drop of lemongrass- thats what was so good about the koa pond it smells of a frog pond the bees realy love it and dont need to add anything -except the fish and some tules 8-) RDY-B

It's impossible to keep bird baths filled with water around here... even if you fill them every morning they'll be empty by the afternoon. Too hot I recon. Anyway, that would only make the pool look even more attractive.

Get a piece of lumber. Get a hose with a nozzle at the end. screw the nozzle on the hose. turn on the water.Loosen the hose end from the hose enough to let a trickle of water out. lay it on the board.Tilt the board in the air to let the water barely move across it. As it gets saturated,the bees will gather water from it.Placing it too close to the hive will almost assure they will fly past it to another water source. I have a small statuary fountain on the rear patio that the bees use all the time.However they will go about anywhere.this is a rubber water dish I got at the farm store,when it's hot it gets real busy and i keep it in the partial shade.